Bluegrass State rebrands with new slogan: ‘Kentucky Kicks Ass’

Every weekday, PR Daily associate editor Alan Pearcy highlights the day’s most compelling stories and amusing marginalia on the Web in this, #TheDailySpin.

Colonel’s famous fried chicken. Baseball’s most prized slugger. Derby horses, hats, and mint juleps. Bourbon. The Bluegrass State, otherwise known as Kentucky, has much to be proud of, although judging by the Commonwealth’s new rebranding project, humility doesn’t make the list. A marketing project from Kentucky for Kentucky (KY4KY) unveiled its new slogan, “Kentucky Kicks Ass,” replacing the state’s former tagline, “Unbridled Spirit.” Your move, Tim Allen.

Let it be known that the Kentucky for Kentucky campaign stems from a failed effort to crowd fund a commercial last year for Super Bowl XLVI. Even if it could pull together the money this year, time would be of the essence. USA Today reported that as of Wednesday, CBS had only two 30-second ad slots remaining.

Still, Kentucky needn’t feel embarrassed about its missed Super Bowl opportunity. It pales in comparisons to Adweek’s gallery of the best newspaper fails and corrections of 2012.

Speaking of newspapers, while staying current on world affairs is certainly important, Belgian marketing platform Newspaperswork proves we might be missing the world around us by being too immersed in our daily periodicals. The company gave three top advertisers a ride in a chauffeur-driven car so they could afford the time to read their newspapers in peace. See what they missed:

Last summer, we reported on coffee chain Tim Horton’s delivering newspaper headlines to customers' coffee sleeves. This year, it’s the customers making the headlines. According to TheFW, a patron at a Tim Horton’s in Winnipeg spurred almost three hours of goodwill when he footed the bill for the next person in line, inspiring 228 customers to pay it forward. No. 229—that’s some bad karma coming your way.

Not to be outdone, coffee rival Starbucks was recently named the most-expensed restaurant for employees in the U.S. by travel and expense management firm Certify. Rounding out the top five: McDonald's, Subway, Panera Bread, and Burger King.

Starbucks could improve its popularity, at least among environmentalists, with reports that the Seattle-based coffee chain will begin offering a $1 reusable plastic tumbler starting Thursday in an effort to reduce waste.

Reports have also surfaced that Apple could be planning a 2013 release for either an iPhone 5S or iPhone 6. Forbes gives us the scoop.

Meanwhile, BuzzFeed gives us 23 actual signs that it says are totally necessary. Good thing that sign warned me not to feed or molest those pesky alligators.